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History Of ‘The Boys’

A lot has been said about our boys in green and gold, for obvious reasons, but it’s been more about team selection, outcomes of matches, and what the future holds. The truth is, when you’re standing around at the next Saturday braai discussing rugby and trying to cement that budding bromance, it’ll do you some good if you knew a few of the hundreds of interesting facts about the history of the Springboks.

Authors Eddie Grieb and Stuart Farmer, two of the best rugby statisticians around, have compiled an entire history of the Springboks in their new offering: ‘The Springbok Handbook’ (Jonathan Ball Publishers, R79). We’ve chosen a few of the most interesting:

• South Africa played their first test match in 1891 in Port Elizabeth against the British Isles, and lost 0-4.

• Os du Randt and Joost van der Westhuizen are the only Springboks to have played at three World Cups.

• SA’s biggest win was against Uruguay in the 2003 World Cup, we won 72-6.

• The William Web Ellis trophy was made in 1906 by Garrards Jewellers in London.

• SA players first bore their green jerseys during the September 1896 match against Great Britain, where they achieved their first victory as the Springboks, winning with a score of 5-0.

• Herbert Hayton Castens from the Western Province had the honour of being the first Springbok captain.

• Grey College in Bloemfontein has produced 38 Springboks, the most for any school in South Africa.

• Cape Town is the top city in the country that has been the birthplace of 46 Springboks. Stellenbosch produced the least at 14.

• Percy Montgomery holds the record for scoring the most points, 120, against a single country, Australia, in 20 test matches.

• The most tries scored in a test match by SA was against Uruguay; the final score was 134-3 where they scored 21 tries.

A lot has been said about our boys in green and gold, for obvious reasons, but it’s been more about team selection, outcomes of matches, and what the future holds. The truth is, when you’re standing around at the next Saturday braai discussing rugby and trying to cement that budding bromance, it’ll do you some good if you knew a few of the hundreds of interesting facts about the history of the Springboks.

Authors Eddie Grieb and Stuart Farmer, two of the best rugby statisticians around, have compiled an entire history of the Springboks in their new offering: ‘The Springbok Handbook’ (Jonathan Ball Publishers, 2011). We’ve chosen a few of the most interesting:

·South Africa played their first test match in 1891 in Port Elizabeth against the British Isles, and lost 0-4.

·Os du Randt and Joost van der Westhuizen are the only Springboks to have played at three World Cups.

·SA’s biggest win was against Uruguay in the 2003 World Cup, we won 72-6.

·The William Web Ellis trophy was made in 1906 by Garrards Jewellers in London.

·SA players first bore their green jerseys during the September 1896 match against Great Britain, where they achieved their first victory as the Springboks, winning with a score of 5-0.

·Herbert Hayton Castens from the Western Province had the honour of being the first Springbok captain.

·Grey College in Bloemfontein has produced 38 Springboks, the most for any school in South Africa.

·Cape Town is the top city in the country that has been the birthplace of 46 Springboks. Stellenbosch produced the least at 14.

·Percy Montgomery holds the record for scoring the most points, 120, against a single country, Australia, in 20 test matches.

·The most tries scored in a test match by SA was against Uruguay; the final score was 134-3 where they scored 21 tries.